Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) based In-Line Inspection (ILI) technology has become a vital part of the integrity management process for addressing cracking threats and ensuring the safety of gas pipelines. Over the past decade, EMAT-based inline inspection services have advanced significantly and are now ubiquitous across the industry. However, like any technology, EMAT has inherent  limitations due to it’s underlying physics and the way it is applied in ILI operations.

This paper presents the evolution of ROSEN’s EMAT-C technology to enable crack detection services for pipelines with greater wall thicknesses. It also outlines the current limitations of the technology. Additionally, the paper discusses the complex validation process undertaken for this enhanced service and shares initial results from field inspections.